


When Legends Fall

by Yadirocks



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-02-08 12:28:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1941096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yadirocks/pseuds/Yadirocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yadier Molina has carried the team on his back and is the most irreplaceable player in the majors. So what will happen when he gets hurt and is out for most of the season? Will the Cardinals get doubtful and lose...or will they pick up their fallen legend with a run that no one will forget?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Torn...Literally

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story because Yadier Molina tore a ligament in his thumb and that will keep him out for at least five weeks. This story is meant to maybe cheer up people who are as upset as I am that Yadier Molina, a hero, a legend, is out for an unpredictable amount of time, and all we know is that he'll be out long enough for the Cardinals to need another backup catcher. So, enjoy, and hopefully this brightens your day!

He knew that something was wrong as soon as he had slid into third base. His initial reaction was 'yeah, I'm safe!' And then there was pain. He tried his best to ignore it, to just tough it out and act like nothing was wrong. Soon, though, he was hunched over, holding his right thumb with his left hand. Jose Oquendo, the Cardinals third base coach, frowned at him, and he asked, voice laced with concern, "What's wrong?"

Yadier shook his head. "It's nothing." But he couldn't hide the pain in his voice as he said it. Oquendo squinted at him, and quickly called for a time out. Mike Matheny came out, followed by one of the trainers. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

The catcher nodded, but Oquendo shook his head. "I think Yadi hurt his thumb."

The trainer looked at the injury, which made Yadi feel a little bit uncomfortable. He never liked getting hurt at all, even whenever he was playing little league down in Puerto Rico. He knew that if it was going to affect his play, then he shouldn't be playing because he didn't want his team to lose because of him. But he also didn't like being out for any amount of time. 

The trainer glanced at Mike with a sigh. "Well, we'll see how it feels after an inning. If he can still catch and he can still swing a bat, then we'll just tape it and have another look at it later."

Yadier was beyond relieved as his manager and the trainer walked back to the dugout. Jose pat him on the shoulder before leaning in and whispering, "If you are in any pain whatsoever, don't hide it. We don't want a minor injury turning into a severe one."

Jhonny Peralta struck out, and Yadier walked back to the dugout. As he was taking off his left batting glove, he had a little bit of trouble, considering the fact that every time he tried to pull it off, searing pain coursed through his thumb. He didn't let it show, though, and acted like he was just having trouble with the strap. 

Adam Wainwright, his best friend and the Cardinals ace, saw that he had a problem, and he said, "Here, let me help you with that."

He took off Yadier's glove and set it down on the bench. "Thanks," Yadier said, giving Adam a smile. Wainwright returned it with his big, goofy grin. "Yadier Molina can do everything...except he has a little bit of trouble with taking off his batting gloves..."

Yadier grinned. "Yeah, I guess I need to figure out how to properly take off batting gloves."

Adam Wainwright shrugged. "It helps."

Yadier put on his catcher's mitt and headed out to the field. Mike Matheny stopped him. "If you feel anything, whether it's a little bit of pain or it's unbearable, let me know."

His catcher sighed. "I will-"

"Yadi, I'm serious. I know you well enough to know that you love to hide your pain just so you can play. We don't know the extent of this injury yet, so please, just...be careful and be honest with us. Okay?"

Yadier nodded. "I will, Mike. I promise."

They nearly had to drag him out of the game. He tried so hard to pretend like nothing hurt whenever he gripped his bat, but everyone could hear it when he cried out slightly after trying to grab his bat.

Mike Matheny sat him down. "Tony, you're going in for Yadi next inning. He's hurt himself."

Cruz jumped up, looking genuinely concerned. "Are you okay?"

Yadier nodded, not wanting to scare the backup catcher, who was in enough of a hurry as it was since the home half of the inning had just ended. "I'm fine. Go out there and help us win. Don't worry about me."

Tony looked a little hesitant, but when they called for Yadi on the field, he grabbed his catcher's mask and sprinted onto the field. Mike had the trainer take another look at hi thumb. "I don't feel a break, but it does feel a little swollen. We'll give it an MRI tomorrow to show whether it's just a sprain or something more serious, God forbid."

So he went home that day, his finger taped and his hopes dwindling. He hardly slept that night, his worry mounting to the point where he couldn't even sit still. He started to pace around the room. Wanda sat up with a sigh. "Yadier, why are you so worried about this?"

He sighed. "You know how much I hate sitting on the bench, and if I get hurt..."

Wanda stood and put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him back towards the bed. "Staying awake worrying about the results of the MRI won't make the results different. Rest. It'll be fine, I'm sure."

Yadier let those words sink in as they laid back down again. He closed his eyes and repeated those words in his head. It'll be fine, he told himself. It'll be fine.


	2. Not Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter where we discover that it's not just a sprain.

He tried so hard not to cry whenever the results of the MRI came back. He knew it was going to be bad, since he could hardly bend his thumb now and even when he did, pain coursed through the finger.

Mike Matheny sighed as he sat beside Yadier. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Yadi."

The catcher nodded, staring down at the ground. His eyes shot up whenever the doctor returned with the results. The doctor gave a long sigh that made Yadier's hopes totally disappear. "Mr. Molina has a torn ligament in his thumb. He will have to have surgery tomorrow and then at least two or three months of rest."

Yadier dropped his gaze back to the floor, studying the carpet pattern to keep himself from crying. He bit his lip as he felt hot tears fill his eyes. He put his face in his hands so that no one could see the tears threatening to fall.

An arm was suddenly around his shoulders. "Are you gonna cry?"

Yadier shook his head, but accidentally released a muffled sob. "You're gonna cry," Mike whispered, pulling Yadier into a hug and letting his catcher cry into his shoulder. 

Mike looked at the doctor. "What time will he need to have surgery tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow morning, probably around nine o'clock."

"What is the fastest possible time that he could return to the Cardinals?"

"Well, I wouldn't push it too much. I'd say at least five weeks. He probably needs to stay out for eight or more, though."

Mike nodded, and pat Yadier on the back. The catcher had stopped crying, but now had his eyes closed and was taking in the news. The doctor left to schedule the time for the surgery. 

Matheny said, "Maybe after the surgery tomorrow, we can strengthen it after a couple of weeks and get you back before eight weeks. As he said, though, we aren't going to push it too far because we don't want to make it worse. But we'll see how it feels in two weeks. Okay?"

Yadier nodded, and pulled away, wiping away the stray tears. "I'm sorry."

Mike put a hand on his shoulder. "This wasn't your fault. Every player gets hurt at some point. You can still come to the games and be there. I'm sure the guys will appreciate your advice, especially Tony."

Yadier sniffed, looking down at his thumb with disappointment. "I wish I had never slid into that base. I should've just stayed at second. Then this never would have happened."

Mike shook his head. "I won't have any of that, Yadi. You did the right thing on that play. I won't have you beating yourself up for something that you couldn't control. I just want you to rest and get better so that you can get back in there and help us win that World Series. Okay?"

Yadier nodded. "Okay, Mike."

The manager smiled. "Remember whenever I got hurt the year that you got brought up?"

Yadier nodded. "Yeah, you were out for half of the season, but you were back in time for the postseason."

Mike met Yadier's eyes. "See? Even I had to sit out for half a season. And I was back in time to get us to the World Series. Yadier, you can't get down about this. Not only will it affect you, but it will also hurt your teammates. When they hear this news, when baseball hears this news, people are going to be upset. It's understandable. You just have to be strong, get better, and give advice while you're hurt. At least you didn't break your leg on that slide, and when we make it to the postseason, there's no doubt that you'll be back for that."

Yadier thought about it for a while. "You're right, Mike. I just hope that it doesn't go like it does every year."

Mike shook his head. "It won't, Yadi. In fact, I think that as long as you're just there, in the dugout, the guys will never give up. And the all star game? You're still the best catcher that there is, and this injury is just a little setback. All of those titles like Gold Glover and Silver Slugger don't even compare to the title of World Champion."

Yadier smiled. Mike returned it. "Come on. We have the Pirates to sweep."


	3. August Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter where Yadi gets upset about not being able to play.

It had been 4 weeks since the surgery, and Yadier was what Mike Matheny called "stir crazy". One minute, he'd be sitting down, and then the next he was getting up to get some water, and then somehow, he and Adam Wainwright had managed to get some cotton candy from one of the sellers that traveled the stands.

Finally, Mike had to sit him down. "I know that it's hard to sit still, Yadi, but I need you to sit down and stay there. It's hard to keep an eye on all of you at the same time."

Yadier sighed. "Mike, when can I come back? It's been four weeks. My thumb feels a lot better."

Mike sat down next to Yadier. "Please understand, Yadi, that we don't want to put you out there whenever it's not fully healed and then it gets worse. If it gets worse...I don't think doctors would be able to fix it this time."

Yadier gave Mike a sad look, slamming his unhurt hand on the railing. "I hate this! I feel like I'm trapped in this dugout and no one will let me do anything but sit and behave!"

Mike was silent for a moment, thinking about what to say to his catcher. "Well, we're winning. That's good, right?"

Yadier nodded. "Yeah."

"And we're at the top of the Central Division for the first time in weeks. That's not bad, right?"

Yadier shook his head. Mike put an arm around his shoulders. "These boys need you, Yadi, whether you're on the bench or on the field. They've rallied. They've fought without their leader. Seeing you like this, upset and angry, would scare them."

Yadier looked down at his thumb, and closed his eyes. "I just want to play, Mike."

Matheny smiled. "I know you do. And you will. But for now, while you're hurt, you need to get as much rest as you can. Next week we'll see if your thumb is ready to begin to get strength back into it."

Yadier put his arms on the rail, resting his forehead against them. A hand was suddenly on his shoulder. "You know, he's not the only one who hates to see you this way."

Yadier looked up to meet Adam Wainwright's eyes. "We all agreed that whenever you got hurt, we were going to try our best to win so that whenever you do come back, you can help us win the World Series. None of us like to see anyone be sad or upset about anything."

Yadier hid his face in his arms again. Adam sat down next to him. "Hey, look at me."

Hesitantly, Yadier raised his head and met Adams eyes again. Adam smiled at him. "If I see you looking like that again, I will make sure the cameras are on us and I will embarrass you so hard that you won't even think about being hurt until you come back."

Yadier put his head back down again. Adam glanced at Matt Holliday, who was watching the scene. He motioned for the left fielder to come over. Matt leaned down and Wainwright whispered something in his ear. Matt nodded, and with a smile, he started tickling Yadier's ribs. The catcher was caught off guard at being suddenly thrown into a fit of laughter, and soon Holliday had pinned him to the ground, tickling him where he knew Yadier was ticklish at. 

When he had finished, Yadier was sprawled out on the floor of the dugout, breathing hard. Before he could even react, Holliday had grabbed his unhurt hand and pulled him to stand, putting him in a headlock and placing his fingers on Yadier's side threateningly. "Now cheer up, okay? We're all a family. You may have gotten hurt, but we'll make sure you get to come back and play. Got it?"

Yadier nodded, and Holliday let go of him, and as he walked away, Adam high-fived him. "And we caught that all on television. Huh. I'll have to get a copy of that video."

Yadier looked down at the ground. Adam shook his head. "Keep your head up. Don't make me bring Matt back over here."

Yadi raised an eyebrow. "Which Matt? There's three of them, and none of them look alike at all."

Adam smiled. "That's the spirit!" He slapped Yadier on the back before walking away. Yadier watched him before shouting, "I was serious!"


	4. FINALLY!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter where Yadi finally, FINALLY, returns.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Yadier chanted as he ran into the Cardinals clubhouse. Adam Wainwright raised an eyebrow. "What are you so happy about?"

Yadier grinned. "Well, I was trying to keep it a surprise, but since you asked..."

Adam rolled his eyes, but Yadier ignored him as he said excitedly, "Mike said I can come back next Tuesday for your start!"

Wainwright joked, "Why would I want you behind the plate? You smell."

He held his nose for emphasis, and Yadier smiled. "Do you think it was my choice to start back there for you? It doesn't exactly make me feel good whenever I look at you and see that ugly face."

Adam laughed. "Awe, I knew you loved me!" He said loudly. Yadier smacked him on the forehead. "You wish."

Tony Cruz was sitting on a bench in the locker room, reading some book. Yadier sat down next to him, and asked, "What are you reading?"

Tony shrugged. "Just some love story."

Yadier smiled at him, and he said, "I got some good news today from Mike that I thought you'd probably need to hear."

Tony looked up from the book and asked, "What is it?"

Yadier put a hand on his shoulder. "He said I could come back next Tuesday. I wanted to make sure you were okay with that."

Cruz nodded. "He told me. I understand. You're the greatest catcher I've ever seen. It's an honor just to be your backup and get to watch you play every day."

Yadier sighed. "It isn't an honor. You earned it. And you've earned every single start this year, whether I had gotten hurt or not. You're a great catcher too, Tony. I don't want you to ever forget that."

Cruz nodded with a smile. "I won't, Yadi."

Both catcher's sat there for a while, listening to the sounds of the stadium. After a long, peaceful silence, Yadier whispered, "There aren't many days like this left for me."

Tony turned his head to find Yadi looking straight at the ground. "What do you mean?"

Yadier rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean that before I know it, this'll all be gone. My contract will be up, and my career will be over."

Tony didn't really know what to say, so he just put an arm around Yadier's shoulders and listened. "Don't take it for granted, Tony. Ten years goes by very fast. It seems like just yesterday that I was walking in here for the first time. Time flies when you play this game because unless you stop to think about it...you never notice."

He looked so sad now when Tony knew he should be happy upon getting the good news. He didn't like seeing Yadier like this. "I won't take it for granted, Yadi. Listen to me for a minute."

Yadier closed his eyes to indicate that he was listening, and Tony said, "It won't be over after that contract is done unless you choose to let it end there. Heck, Yadi, I don't think anyone doubts that you'll be in the Hall of Fame one day. You're the best catcher in baseball, and this team has sort of figured out how to still get the job done whenever you aren't here. Go out there on Tuesday and have a blast. Show the world what a Hall of Famer can do in his last four years."

Molina nodded. "I will, Tony."

He smiled at Cruz, who returned it before bookmarking his page in his book and setting it aside. "The game's about to start. Gonna come?"

Yadier shrugged. "I don't have anywhere else to be."

Before Cruz could walk off, Yadier grabbed his arm and turned him around. He was met by an embrace, and Tony returned it. "Thank you," Yadier said. 

"Anytime, Yadi."


End file.
